LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: Ashman, Nottingham Playhouse till 19 July.

Nottingham.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: Ashman.
Nottingham Playhouse: Tkts 0115 941 9419.
www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk.
Runs: 2h 0m: one interval: till 19th July.
Performance times: 7.15pm (matinees Weds and Sat).
Review: Alan Geary: 16 July 2008.

This will pack them in.
Even if you’re not particularly partial to musicals you might find yourself engaging with this one. It has stock, easily recognised characters, catchy numbers, a strong plot, which turns out to be as dark as it’s amusing, and some nice special effects: there’s a man-eating plant that grows, moves and lets off steam.

The only negative is the music/singing volume balance - the music is too often so uncomfortably loud as to render the lyrics, which are important, inaudible. For instance, Dentist, sung by Matt Grainger, as Orin Scrivello, is lost. When they get the sound right, as in Suddenly Seymour, sung by Seymour and Audrey, a whole lot of meaning comes over.

Phil Birkett does our hero Seymour, initially a no-hope shop assistant with a bed under the counter, as the sort of awkward and rabbit-like adult orphan that Norman Wisdom used to play in all those fifties films.

His opposite number, Audrey, is beautifully played by Cathy Miller as one of those kind-hearted but cerebrally challenged bad-taste bottle-blondes with a shrill and silly voice. It’s quite touching when she sings Somewhere That’s Green about her yearning for a suburban idyll.

Dan Armstrong is good as failed shop-keeper Mushnik and so is Matt Grainger in a variety of parts, especially that of Orin Scrivello DDS, the sadistic dentist/biker boyfriend of Audrey. The musicians are splendid, as are the three supporting performers.

If the second-night audience was a reliable indication, this No Face production directed by Nicola Curzon will pack them in for the rest of the run.

Seymour: Phil Birkett.
Audrey: Cathy Miller.
Voice of Audrey II/Wino 1/Screaming Man: Lyndon Warnsby.
Chiffon: Kate Williams.
Ronette: Kate Chilton.
Crystal: Joanne Lale.
Orin Scrivello DDS/Wino 2Customer/Mrs Luce/Mr Bernstein/Skip Snip: Matt Grainger.
Mr Mushnik: Dan Armstrong.
Audrey II Manipulator: David Streggles.

Director/Choreographer: Nicola Curzon.
Designer: Shelley Hawley.
Lighting/Sound Designer: David Philips.
Musical Director: Stephen Williams.

2008-07-18 08:39:05